Lucknow: About a month after three Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders were expelled for “anti-party activities” following their public outburst against the party leadership, the trio said Thursday that they are set to launch an outfit called ‘Swabhimani Samajwadi Morcha’.
Its first meeting is scheduled to be held in Lucknow Sunday.
The three — Pradeep Tiwari, former national president of Samajwadi Lohia Vahini; Brajesh Yadav, former state president of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha; and Purnendu Tiwari, better known as PD Tiwari, former candidate in Barhaj assembly election and ex-state secretary of the party — have announced that the Morcha will work against the “corruption prevalent in a gang led by SP leader Udayveer Singh” along with issues like inflation, fee hike in universities and other village-level issues.
Lohia Vahini and Yuvjan Sabha are among the four youth wings of the SP.
The trio were expelled from the SP on 13 August soon after they criticised the party leadership, including former SP MLC and spokesperson Udayveer Singh, for “finishing the party leadership in eastern UP” and declared to launch a campaign in the University of Lucknow to expose how “youngsters coming from poor families were being exploited in SP”.
The outburst had come soon after the party’s announcement of national and state heads for its four frontal organisations on 26 July. The three had not made the cut.
Speaking to ThePrint, Purnendu said that he, Pradeep Tiwari and Yadav will serve as the convenors of the Swabhimani Samajwadi Morcha as of now. Its first meeting is set to be held in Lucknow’s Vishveshwarya Bhawan Sunday and, according to Purnendu, will have many former and current SP leaders in attendance.
“Those who have been insulted (by the party) and who have been forced to sit in their homes after an attack on their self-respect, and all those who were associated with the youth wings of the party but sidelined, will also join us,” he said.
“We have support from 25-50 sitting and ex-members of district panchayats, over 10 former block presidents and former MLAs. About 15 to 20 former councillors will also participate in the meeting,” he claimed, adding that some former office bearers of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sangh will also join them.
According to Pradeep Tiwari, several eminent personalities will attend the “Jan Samvad” event Sunday. These people, he said, will decide the Morcha’s strategy and “teach Akhilesh Yadav a lesson”.
When asked about the Morcha’s plans ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Pradeep Tiwari said that it will fight the suvidhabhogis (opportunists) in SP along with those making comments against Hindu scriptures.
“The party is no longer Samajwadi Party (the way it used to be). It has been taken over by suvidhabhogis and those doing politics while sitting in AC rooms. Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) could sit on a dharna at Hazratganj even at the age of 70, but Akhileshji has no struggle left in him. We have been born out of struggle and have spent years in jail,” said Pradeep.
Purnendu added that the Morcha will take along those who have raised their voices against SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya for making comments against the Ramcharitmanas and Kedarnath and Lord Rama.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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